Selected Faculty Profiles
Luther's 191 full-time faculty come from the strongest graduate programs in the United States—and around the world—and represent expertise ranging from collaborative filtering (in computer science) to Latin and Old Irish documentation of St. Patrick (in classics) to Goth culture (in communication studies).
Nearly 90 percent of Luther's full-time faculty hold a doctorate or the highest earned degree in their fields. Forty-four percent of our professors are women and 8 percent identify themselves as persons of color. The majority have spent significant time overseas and bring these experiences and passions into the classroom.
In hiring faculty, Luther looks for teacher-scholars who feel called to be at a liberal arts college—a place where the attention is on undergraduates. The college’s 12:1 student-faculty ratio makes it possible for professors to know their students well and become intellectual mentors and guides. And because nearly all faculty live within 5 miles of campus, they make a life here, with students and colleagues. This creates a strong sense of community and shared purpose on the Luther campus.
Student-faculty research projects—ranging from ethnographic study of Latina health issues to the production of biodiesel for campus vehicles—promote hands-on problem solving and critical thinking about issues well beyond college life. Recognized with grants from the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and National Endowment for the Humanities, Luther faculty reflect the college's ideals as a Phi Beta Kappa institution: excellence every day in the liberal arts.